Mark Uhre is Buddy the Elf and Sheldon Bergstrom is Santa in Neptune Theatre’s holiday production of ELF: The
Musical. The show officially opens Friday. Story, see page 8. Jeff Harper/Metro

Protecting the Sex, lies and Deep into
transgendered Sesame Street the blue
Province intends on altering
Human Rights Act for a more
inclusive society page 6

The man behind Elmo has
stepped down amid scandal
page 10

The ocean provides a powerful backdrop in cinematic
take on The Life of Pi page 17

The new regional council and
mayor have sent a clear message to developers in Halifax
with a decision to stop the
Skye Halifax project from proceeding.
Council rejected a motion
Tuesday that would have sent
the 48-storey twin towers to a
public hearing and potentially
to final approval.
The debate was relatively
brief, taking less than an hour,
and focused more on the importance of adhering to the
HRMbyDesign policy — developed with extensive public
consultation — than on the
merits of the actual proposal.
“I feel that today’s decision is about trust,” said Coun.
Waye Mason, who made the
motion to reject amendments
to existing rules that would
have cleared the way for Skye

to proceed. “How will any
citizen trust our plans if they
can be overturned whenever
a big development is brought
forward?”
The project would have
required amendments to four
existing planning laws, including the height restrictions
in the downtown core, currently at 66 metres.
Mayor Mike Savage took
the unusual step of surrendering the chair to Deputy
Mayor Reg Rankin so that he
could join the debate.
Savage said he likes the
Skye Halifax proposal — but
warned council emphatically
about undoing the stability
provided by HRMbyDesign.
“To change that now would
be to damage the development climate in downtown
Halifax and put us back to a
degree of chaos,” he said. “It
would remove all clarity and
predictability and consistency
from our process and could return us to the days when every
proposal became a fight.”
Developers with United
Gulf, who could be heard muttering irately in the public

Quoted

our plans.”

“I think it
does send a
signal that
we’re going
to follow

Mayor Mike Savage

gallery during the debate, refused comment after the final
vote of 9-6.
Dissenting
councillors
said they weren’t necessarily
in support of the project, but
wanted it to proceed to a public hearing.
“I know we’ve had extensive public consultation, but
I’m not convinced we’ve had
all the opportunity to hear
from the public,” said Coun.
Barry Dalrymple.
“There’s no rush to end
this tonight without hearing
from the public in a public
forum.” Ruth Davenport/Metro
More on Skye Halifax, page 3

Although Coun. Russell
Walker wasn’t at Tuesday’s
meeting, city councillors approved his initiative to change
some of the new district
names from those set by the
Utility and Review Board.
City staff polled councillors over the past week to ask
who wanted changes made,
and council voted Tuesday to
submit those changes to the
UARB for approval.
The changes are as follows:
• District 2 changes from
Preston–Porters Lake–Eastern
Shore to Preston–Chezzetcook–Eastern Shore.
• District 9 changes from
Peninsula West–Armdale to
Armdale–Peninsula West.
• District 11 changes from
Spryfield–Sambro–Prospect
Road to Spryfield–Sambro
Loop–Prospect Road.
• District 12 changes from
Timberlea–Beechville–Clayton
Park West to Timberlea–
Beechville–Clayton Park.
• District 14 changes from
Upper/Middle Sackville–Beaver
Bank to Middle/Upper Sackville–Beaver Bank–Lucasville.
All other district names
remain unchanged.
RUTH DAVENPORT/METRO

Public forum.
Nova Centre
session on
tonight
The second-to-last publicengagement session for the
Nova Centre is taking place
on Wednesday night.
Session No. 11 of 12, starting at 7 p.m. at the Kenneth
C. Rowe Heritage Hall at Pier
21, is titled Metro Engagement: The New Halifax Convention Centre. Participants
will discuss the possible
impact of a new convention
centre on the city and the
role the public can play in its
development.
Enhancements to the
building design are also
expected to be revealed.
The final session is on
Dec. 5 and will feature the
most updated design.
The $500-million Nova
Centre is scheduled to open
in early 2016.
METRO

Skye really was the
limit for twin towers
Coun. Waye Mason debates the Skye Halifax development at Tuesday’s regional council meeting at the World Trade and Convention Centre. JEFF HARPER/METRO

Thumbs-up.
Business groups say
development would
have bent rules too far
RUTH
DAVENPORT

ruth.davenport@metronews.ca

Regional council made the
right decision in stopping the
Skye Halifax project, say stakeholders in the downtown core.
Paul MacKinnon, executive
director of the downtown business commission, said the vote
may not be immediately popular with citizens, but most developers and businesses are applauding the “bold decision.”
“There’s a lot of people
that, I think, are misinterpreting this as a knock on development, but there’s a lot of
us that were opposed to it and
felt that if it went through, it

How they voted

The “yes” side voted to stop
Skye Halifax; “no” would
have allowed a public
hearing.

would actually hinder development downtown in the long
term,” he said.
MacKinnon wrote a letter
signed by several dozen busi-

An artist’s rendering of the Skye
Halifax development CONTRIBUTED

ness groups, urging regional
council to stand by HRMbyDesign and scupper the
48-storey twin towers. He said
it may sound counterintuitive,

but stopping the project was a
pro-development thing to do.
“We heard comments from
developers saying, ‘We’re
not sure where the city’s going with HRMbyDesign,’” he
said. “So it’s already created
uncertainty, and I think the
developer’s been strung along
a little bit.”
Nancy Conrad, senior vicepresident of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, said she’s
pleased with what council decided, and how they decided it.
“This council made a decision promptly and efficiently
and said, ‘No, this doesn’t fit in
the guidelines we put in place,’
and the developer would have
gone in understanding that
would be the risk,” she said.
Conrad said chamber members want transparency in the
development process, and will
be pleased with the council decision to respect its own rules.
“Halifax is indeed open for
business,” she said.

Reaction on social media

Metro went to Facebook
and Twitter to see if people
agreed with council’s decision
to block the Skye Halifax
project. Here’s a sample:

bills for the people voting
this economic development
down.
•

Facebook
•

Nicholas Harvey:
Sigh, let’s continue
to bar all economic
development in
this province. Everyone is
horrified of change and the
cost is jobs and youth. Almost all the talented Nova
Scotians leave the province
to (pursue) higher pay and
more opportunities. If this
continues no one will be
here to pay the health care

•

•

that needs jobs. I am well
educated but can’t get a
job in those places. I get
much joy from showing
visitors around our city
and telling stories of our
history. My husband is from
England and he is amazed
how our history connects
to his country and is very
excited for some of his
family to come here and
experience it, too. They
don’t want to come here
and see skyscrapers.

Mitchell Sceviour: Yes, we
don’t need it. We should
focus on better things. And
let’s not kill the waterfront we have ... Halifax is
beautiful.
Erin Page: God forbid
this city should embrace
some change, growth and
development.
Sherri Hayes: The percentage of people employable
in big office towers is very
small compared to the
whole of the population

Twitter
•

@Boycie90: terrible
decision, council
should recognize the

current needs of Halifax to
grow and prosper.
•

@Christofski: it’s 1980 here
and 2012 in Moncton.

•

@sgpdooley: you
would think with a new
mayor&council Halifax
would finally get some life
oh well it’ll soon be a dead
city @HRMProblems

Sidney Crosby. Featured
in anti-drug video
Cole Harbour’s Sidney Crosby
and other famous celebrities
have come together for a new
drug-awareness video aimed at
teens.
The RCMP launched their
Canadian Champions initiative at Auburn Drive High
School in Dartmouth on
Tuesday morning, hoping to
encourage youth to build a
“drug-free future,” according
to a press release.
The program is built
around a near 30-minute long
video featuring Canadian athletes, students and celebrities
sharing stories of how drugs
impacted their lives.
“Your real friends are going
to understand what’s important for you and they’re going
to be there to support you.
Your real friends aren’t going
to be the ones pushing things
on you,” Crosby said in the
video.
Sgt. Alain LeBlanc of the
Nova Scotia RCMP said an important part of the video gives

kids advice on what to say
when offered drugs.
“The message is quite
clear,” LeBlanc said, “You can
make the right decision.”
Other sports celebrities taking part include Brett Lawrie
of the Toronto Blue Jays, Cory
Joseph of the San Antonio
Spurs, Olympic snowboarder
Caroline Calve and local boxing legend Ricky Anderson.
LeBlanc added there is
also an interactive contest allowing teens to get creative
and make their own videos
about drug awareness and
share personal stories.
“That’s pretty powerful,”
he said.
The video will soon be
shown in schools all over Canada. Haley Ryan/metro
Online
To see the video,
go to metronews.ca

Crime. Man charged for
assaulting Amherst cop

St. Francis Xavier

Katie Cannon paints a festive window scene in the front window of the Foggy Goggle in Halifax on Tuesday afternoon. Signs that the holiday season is
around the corner are popping up throughout the downtown. Jeff Harper/metro

Third man charged in
child confinement case

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. The Canadian Press

A 29-year-old Amherst man will
return to court in December to
answer to three charges following an altercation with a town
police officer.
Christopher Ryan Robichaud is charged with resisting
arrest, obstruction of a police
officer and assault causing
bodily harm to a police officer
after police responded to a fight
complaint at an Amherst business shortly after 2 a.m. on Nov.
18.
During the altercation a
member of the police depart-

Holiday cheer begins to appear

Second arrest

A 23-year-old female
was also arrested in the
altercation for obstruction
of a police officer.

ment was injured.
Robichaud appeared in
court in Amherst this week and
was from custody with conditions. He is due back in court
on Dec. 17. Amherst Daily News
Stewiacke

Conciliator to help
end contract dispute

Agricultural icon
being sold

A conciliator has been
appointed to help resolve
a contract dispute at St.
Francis Xavier University
in Antigonish. John Greer
will soon meet with unionized faculty and university
officials. The two sides
asked for a conciliator last
week. No dates have been
set to resume bargaining.

Farmer Clem’s, a landmark
for the past 20 years in
Stewiacke, has been sold.
Founder Vernon Blois
said the sale is set to close
at the end of November.
Pine Acres RV Ltd., from
Moncton, purchased the
building. Blois, who founded Farmer Clem’s in 1961,
turns 63 in January.

the canadian press

Truro Daily News

Bail hearing. John
MacKean, 63, back in
court Thursday
haley
ryan

haley.ryan@metronews.ca

The RCMP say it is “unlikely” any more people will be
charged in relation to the
sexual-assault and confinement case of a 16-year-old boy
in Lunenburg County back in
September.
RCMP spokesman Sgt. Alain
LeBlanc made the comment
after a third man had been
charged in the investigation on
Tuesday.
John MacKean of Lower
Sackville, 63, faces a charge
of sexual assault and another
prostitution-related
charge
after being arrested Monday in
Fredericton.
Crown Lawyer Lloyd Tan-

cock said outside court in
Bridgewater Tuesday that the
second charge was for communicating for the purpose of
obtaining sexual services from
someone under 18.
MacKean has been remanded to jail until his next
court appearance on Thursday.
Police launched an investigation in September after
a woman in Upper Chelsea
reported that a barefoot teen
showed up at her doorstep
chained at his wrists and ankles, seeking help.
Officers later issued arrest
warrants for David James Leblanc and 31-year-old Wayne
Alan Cunningham.
“It’s important to remember
that a suspect may be identified
early on in an investigation.
However, you need evidence to
support a charge,” LeBlanc said
as to how the charges came
against a third person in the
case.
Leblanc was arrested in
northern Ontario after police

The residence in Upper Chelsea where the alleged confinement took place.
Jeff Harper/metro

received a report of a man
wandering without shoes and
wearing light clothing in nearfreezing temperatures. He was
flown to Halifax after receiving
medical treatment.
Cunningham’s body was
found near the area where Leblanc was arrested. Foul play
was not suspected in his death.

Leblanc faces seven charges,
including sexual assault, sexual
assault causing bodily harm,
forcible confinement and
administering a noxious substance with intent to cause bodily harm. He is in custody and
due to return to Bridgewater
provincial court Dec. 19.
with files from The Canadian Press

Two men charged with stunting, one
clocked at double the posted limit: Police
Police in Nova Scotia have
charged two people with stunting, with one of the drivers allegedly going more than twice
as fast as the stated speed limit.
Police in the Annapolis
Valley said Tuesday that they
stopped a 28-year-old man who
was allegedly doing 143 kilo-

metres an hour in a 60 km/h
zone.
The driver was suspended
from driving, his vehicle seized
and he faces a fine of $2,412 if
convicted.
RCMP in Halifax also
charged a 22-year-old Bedford
man with stunting after he

was allegedly clocked at 157
kilometres an hour in a 100
km/h zone on Tuesday morning.
The driver was also suspended from driving for a
minimum of one week, his car
seized and he faces the same
fine. the canadian press

New legislation will
protect transgender
residents in province
Written in law. Group
says announcement a
step toward making
society more inclusive
Andrew
rankin

Inclusive society

“This is a message that
discrimination on the
basis of gender is unacceptable in Nova Scotia.”
David Shannon, CEO of the Nova Scotia
Human Rights Commission

andrew.rankin@metronews.ca

Justice Minister Ross Landry speaks with Kate Shewan, a transgender woman, prior to the start of a press conference to
announce amendments to the Human Rights Act at Province House on Tuesday morning. Jeff Harper/metro

Kate Shewan says the province’s transgender community
faces its fair share of challenges.
But Tuesday’s announcement that the province intends
to change the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act to specifically
protect the rights of transgender people will, she says, go
a long way in making the province a more inclusive society.
“For a long time, we’ve felt
very marginalized and now
this makes us feel that we’re
part of the whole community,”
she said.
The proposed changes to
the province’s Human Rights

Act would include gender identity and gender expression.
Justice Minister Ross Landry
announced the amendments
at Province House on Tuesday
morning. He said he hoped the
change would help the province become a more liberal and
progressive place to live.
“I believe our community must be a place where all
Nova Scotians know they are
accepted,” said Landry.
Shewan is the treasurer
of Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project, which represents
transgender residents in the
province. The group had been
pushing the government since
July to amend the legislation,

with the aid of a 2,000-signature petition.
Kevin Kindred, chairman of
the group, said although transgender people are able take discrimination complaints to the
province’s Human Rights Commission, the current legislation
leaves a lot up to interpretation, which leads to confusion.
The changes, he said, sets
the record straight for the
transgender community and
society at large.
“It’s not necessarily creating new rights, but it’s creating a new understanding that
discrimination against transgender people is covered by the
Act,” said Kindred.
Across the country

Other provinces, which
have specific human-rights
legislation protecting transgender people: Ontario,
Manitoba and the Northwest Territories

08

news

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Elves set to take over
Neptune for the holidays
Xmas. Popular
movie-turned-musical
expected to be big-draw
haley
ryan

haley.ryan@metronews.ca

Mark Uhre has some big (pointed) shoes to fill.
The 32-year-old actor will
make his Neptune Theatre
debut Friday night for the premiere of ELF: The Musical.
“It’s a little scary,” Uhre said
about playing Buddy, the role
made famous by Will Ferrell in
the popular Christmas movie
Elf.
“Going into it completely
copying Will Ferrell is impossible, so we’re making it our
own.”
The play follows Buddy, a
young orphan who is raised by
Santa Claus after he accidentally crawls into his bag of toys
and is taken back to the North
Pole.
He later goes to New York
City in order to find his true

identity and bring holiday
cheer to the city.
“It is different from the film,
absolutely,” Uhre said of the
musical. “I think that the music
completely enhances the story.”
Original numbers will be
played each night by local artists, and Uhre said people will
be surprised by how great the
music is.
“It’s fun, it’s different, it’s
not like watching a movie.”
He added everyone can
learn something from Buddy
because he’s so innocent and
positive, and reminds people of
what it’s like to be a kid.
“There’s nothing better
than a Christmas show,” Uhre
said, “No matter what religious
background you have, coming
together at this time of year is
really important.”
And while some might be
tempted to stay in and watch
the movie version, Uhre said
you’ll be missing out.
“Coming out and laughing
with groups of people, it’s intoxicating and it’s uplifting,” he
said. “Throw a DVD on at home
another day.”

Buddy the Elf (Mark Uhre) dances with elves in Neptune Theatres production of ELF: The Musical. The show premieres Friday and runs through Jan. 6. Visit
neptunetheatre.com for tickets and showtimes. Jeff Harper/metro

Online health records system to be tested $1M. Truro a step closer

Dave Wilson metro file

The province has announced
plans for a two-year pilot project that will enable 3,000
people to manage their health
records online.
The project will start early
next year for some patients
in the Capital District Health
Authority.
The online service will pro-

vide them with access to medical information, test results
and schedules for booking
checkups.
The system is called RelayHealth, a secure, online
personal health-record service developed by McKesson
Canada.
Company spokesman Dale

Weil says the system has
been in use for 13 years internationally with more than 20
million patients already online.
Health and Wellness Minister David Wilson says the
system will help patients become more engaged in their
care. the canadian press

to new justice centre
The province is investing $1
million to be used to select a
site and begin design work for
the proposed new Truro Justice
Centre.
The funding was announced
Tuesday as part of a $23 million commitment to invest in

justice-system upgrades around
the province.
Other funding includes $6
million in upgrades to the Law
Courts in Halifax and $15 million towards the construction
of a new correctional facility.
Truro Daily News

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Russian woman
keeps husband’s
body in
apartment with
her five children

A U.S. judge says he won’t
order more hair-removal
treatments for a transgender inmate who won
a court order for taxpayerfunded sex change surgery.
The Massachusetts
judge also ruled Tuesday
that the gender reassignment surgery he ordered
for Michelle Kosilek in
September will be on hold
until the state appeals his
ruling.
Kosilek, convicted in
the 1990 murder of wife
Cheryl Kosilek, was born
male but has received
hormone treatments and
now lives as a woman in an
all-male prison.

Russian authorities say a
woman with five children
kept her husband’s body
in their apartment for
almost three years after
his death.
Prosecutors in the central Yaroslavl region said
the unidentified woman,
described as a devout
Pentecostal Christian with
a psychiatric record, was
so distraught when her
husband died of natural
causes in 2009 that she
believed he “was bound to
resurrect.”
An investigation was
opened after the body was
found in a dumpster in a
plastic bag in July.

the associated press

the associated press

In this January 2011 photo, Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash poses with the Sesame Street muppet in the Fender
Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Victoria Will/the associated press file

Looters put on notice
Shines restaurant leaves a warning for looters on Tuesday in Long
Beach, N.Y. More than three weeks after Superstorm Sandy hit the
New York area, residents continue their restoration efforts in many
affected areas on Long Island. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

“Elmo is bigger than any
one person.”
Sesame Workshop statement
Last week the company said Elmo is not
defined by one person and others have
been trained as Clash’s stand-in. It remains
unclear who will take over the role now.

“Personal matters have
diverted attention away
from the important work
Sesame Street is doing and I
cannot allow it to go on any
longer,” the 52-year-old performer said in a statement.
“I am deeply sorry to be
leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately.’’

His departure came as a
24-year-old college student,
Cecil Singleton, sued Clash
for more than $5 million
Tuesday, accusing the actor
of engaging in sexual behaviour with him when he was
15. Singleton charged that
Clash made a habit of trolling gay chat lines for underage boys and meeting them
for sex.
It was the second such
allegation in just over a
week. On Nov. 12, a man
in his 20s said he had sex
with Clash at age 16. A day
later, though, the young
man recanted, saying their
relationship was adult and
consensual.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

McAfee hiding, blogging

Sweden

Woman charged
with necrophilia
A woman in Sweden has
been accused of necrophilia
after investigators found
some 100 skeleton parts in
her apartment.
The Swedish news agency
TT cites prosecutor Kristina
Ehrenborg-Staffas as saying
that the 37-year-old woman
is suspected of using the
remains, which included six
skulls and one backbone, in
“sexual situations.”
The woman, from
southwestern Sweden, was
charged “with violating the
peace of the deceased” in
Goteborg District Court on
Tuesday.
The TT agency reports

Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash
resigned from Sesame Street
on Tuesday amid allegations
he sexually abused underage boys, bringing an end to
a 28-year career in which he
turned the furry red monster into one of the most
beloved — and lucrative —
characters on TV and in toy
stores.

Quote

This is an undated handout photo
showing a human skull in a bed in
Sweden. Scanpix Sweden/Swedish
Police/the associated press

that police also found a CD
titled My Necrophilia as well
as photographs in which a
woman is seen kissing and
hugging the skulls. The
woman has denied the charges, claiming she collected
the bones out of historical
interest. THE ASSOCIATED PRESs

Software company founder
John McAfee says he’s hiding
in plain sight, wearing a disguise as he watches police and
reporters stake out his home
— and blogging about it all.
In the latest twist in
the highly-publicized case,
McAfee has started his own
blog, in which he describes
life on the lam after police
in Belize called him a “person of interest” in the slaying
of fellow American Gregory
Viant Faull and asked him to
turn himself in for questioning.
In phones interviews with
The Associated Press, McAfee
has never said where he’s hiding. But in his blog this week,

he claims to have disguised
himself as a grungy street peddler and a foul-mouthed German tourist, and claims he approached an Associated Press
reporter outside his stakedout home on the Caribbean
island of Ambergris Caye, and
almost sold the reporter a
wood carving.
It’s hard to separate fact
from fiction in the whole account, but one thing is clear
— seldom has there been
more detailed coverage of
someone on the lam since
O.J. Simpson led police on a
low-speed chase in 1994, and
much of that detail is being
provided by McAfee himself.
the associated press

This photo shows John McAfee
in Belize this month.
the associated press

It appears the Grim Reaper
has a schedule to keep.
A team of scientists led
by a University of Toronto
neurology professor says it
has discovered a gene mutation that determines the time
of day a person is most likely
to die.
“It’s just kind of spooky.
I just couldn’t believe it,”
said co-author and Harvard
University professor Dr. Clifford Saper.
The study, led by University of Toronto professor Dr.
Andrew Lim and published in
the November edition of Annals of Neurology, emerged
from research into seniors’
sleep-wake cycles.
Analyzing 1,200 people
who had enrolled in another
study as healthy 65-yearolds about 15 years earlier,
the researchers set out to
investigate why seniors have
trouble sleeping and whether
they could identify signs of
oncoming Parkinson’s or
Alzheimer’s disease.
But the study changed
tack when Lim discovered
a link
between
sleep pat- Quoted
terns and
variations “No ... I’ll let
in “Period it be up to the
1,” the
fates.”
gene that
Dr. Clifford Saper, Harvard
plays a
University professor
major
He says he will not take
role in the the simple test that would
internal show what time of day he
biological is most likely to die.
— or
circadian
— clock.
The team found that
people who report waking
early in the morning (before
7 a.m.) are more likely to
have an adenine (A-A) nucleotide base. Late-risers, on the
other hand, are more likely to
have a guanine (G-G) nucleotide base. Those who wake
up somewhere in the middle
have both (A-G).
Having made the link,
Lim then wondered whether
the mutation played a role in
death, so he went back to the
database and cross-compared
times of death and DNA from
those who had passed away.
Like sleep, he discovered a
circadian rhythm of death.
Barring accidental causes,
early risers (A-A’s and A-G’s)
are more likely to die at
around 11 a.m., while late
risers (G-G’s) will more likely
hold out until around 6 p.m.
“It is a bit disconcerting
that something as fundamental as the time one is likeliest
to die can be influenced by
a simple gene variant,” said
Lim in an email, adding that
17 per cent of people with the
G-G variation died an average
of six hours later than others.
torstar news service

news

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

11

Outrage over arrests for Facebook post
Mumbai funeral.
Arrests seen as move
by police to prevent
violence by supporters
of Hindu politician
As India’s financial capital
shut down for the weekend
funeral of a powerful politician linked to waves of mob
violence, a woman posted on
Facebook that the closures in

Mumbai were “due to fear,
not due to respect.” A friend
of hers hit the “like” button.
For that, both women
were arrested Sunday on
charges of creating enmity
and hatred and were released
on bail.
Analysts and the media
are slamming the Maharashtra state government for
what they said was a flagrant
misuse of the law and an attempt to curb freedom of expression.

vision Tuesday, her face covered by a scarf so that only
her eyes were visible.
Clearly terrified, Dhada
told NDTV television she
would never again make comments on a social networking
site. Both women said they
have deactivated their Facebook accounts.
Analysts say it was a sense
of fear that kept millions of
people off the streets of the
bustling city on Sunday.

The women withdrew the
comment and apologized,
but angry supporters of Bal
Thackeray — a powerful Hindu fundamentalist politician
who died Saturday — stormed
an orthopedic clinic run by
the uncle of one woman, destroying its operating rooms
and much of its equipment.
Nurses and patients fled but
no one was hurt.
Shaheen
Dhada,
the
21-year-old who posted the
comment appeared on tele-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shaheen Dhada, left, and Renu Srinivas, leave court in Mumbai Tuesday. The
women were arrested for posting on Facebook that closures for the funeral
of a fundamentalist leader were due to fear, not respect. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, centre, embraces
an unidentified person after draft legislation introducing the first women
bishops in the Church of England failed to receive final approval from the
General Synod in London, Tuesday. Yui Mok-Pool/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Church of England. Move
narrowly blocked to
approve female bishops
The Church of England’s
governing body on Tuesday
narrowly blocked a move to
permit women to serve as
bishops, leaving the church
facing more years of contentious debate.
Following a daylong debate, opponents mustered
enough support to deny the
necessary two-thirds majority among lay members of the
General Synod, with backers
falling six votes short of passage.
The defeat was a setback
for Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams, who retires
Rowdy soccer fans

at the end of December, and
his successor, Bishop Justin
Welby. Both had strongly
endorsed a proposed compromise that they had hoped
would end decades of debate
on the issue in the church,
which has around 80 million
members worldwide.
Passage of legislation to
allow women to serve as
bishops must be approved by
two-thirds majorities in the
synod’s three houses: bishops, priests and laity.
The vote was 132 in favour
and 74 against.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Abortion death probe

Jeering mob in
Turkey greets
visiting players

Ireland makes a
U-turn, drops 3
docs from panel

Turkish police used
pepper spray to disperse
hundreds of Galatasaray
soccer fans who gathered
at Istanbul’s main airport
to jeer Manchester United
players on their arrival
for Tuesday’s Champions
League game.
The fans lit firecrackers and flares, and battered doors of Ataturk
Airport’s arrival terminal
late Monday, prompting
riot police to use pepper
spray. Manchester United
players left the building
through another exit.

The Irish government
removed three doctors
Tuesday from a sevenmember panel investigating the death of Savita
Halappanavar, a 31-yearold Indian dentist, who
died in an Irish hospital
Oct. 28 after being denied
an abortion.
The U-turn came hours
after her husband, Praveen Halappanavar, said
he would refuse to cooperate because three of
the hospital’s senior doctors had been appointed
as investigators.

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12

news

On the brink of peace?
Midnight tension.
Talks on a Gaza
ceasefire drag on
amid optimism — but
Israel and Hamas trade
blistering blows
Israel and Hamas edged closer to a ceasefire late Tuesday
night.
But after a day of furious
diplomatic efforts involving
the U.S. secretary of state,
the United Nations chief and
Egypt’s president, a deal remained elusive.
Meanwhile, fighting raged
on both sides of the border.
Israeli tanks and gunboats
Death toll mounts

The toll in the week-old
Gaza campaign:
• Palestinians. More than

130 Palestinians, both
militants and civilians,
have been killed in Gaza.

• Israelis. Four Israeli

civilians and one soldier
have been killed.

pummelled targets in Gaza in
what appeared to be a lastminute burst of fire, while at
least 200 rockets were fired
into Israel.
As talks dragged on near
midnight, UN ambassadors
announced
the
Security
Council will hold an open debate on the Gaza crisis Wednesday afternoon if a ceasefire is not called before then.
Earlier in the day, optimism was rampant.
Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi predicted Israeli
airstrikes would soon end.
And Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said his
country would be a “willing
partner” to a ceasefire with
Hamas, the Islamic militant
group.
A top Hamas official, too,
said a pact was close — even
as the relentless airstrikes
and rocket attacks continued.
Israel demands an end to
rocket fire from Gaza, and a
halt to weapons smuggling
into Gaza through tunnels
under the border with Egypt.
Hamas wants the Israelis to
halt all their attacks on Gaza
and lift the crippling restrictions on trade and movement
in and out of the territory.
the associated press

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If you have been impacted by lung
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Their young world collapses: Children stand in the rubble left after an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza City on
Tuesday. hatem moussa/the associated press

Bye bye, Blighty? EU gets
the jitters over possible
pullout by fed-up Britain
Goodbye, Britain?
For the European Union, a
once-unthinkable question is
looking more like a real possibility with each new grinding
week of economic crisis.
Bad times are forcing the
17 EU nations that use the
euro currency to move ever
closer toward some kind of
United States of Europe —
one that could make decisions about how much member countries spend and how
much tax they collect.
And that’s a nightmare for
Britain.
The British public shows
no interest in moving closer
to the rest of Europe, and
most can’t even seem to
stomach the status quo.

After a 2015 election, Britain — among 10 of the 27 EU
nations that don’t use the
euro — is likely to hold a referendum on whether to leave
the EU.
Even if it doesn’t hold a
vote, the country is already
unpicking its ties with Europe, a movement that has
unsettled Germany, which is
eager to retain the U.K. as an
important economic driver of
the bloc.
“I will ask the inhabitants of the wonderful island
to reflect that they will not
be happy if they are alone in
this world,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a
speech in London last week.
the associated press

Storm clouds

The prospect of a U.K. exit
from the EU alarms some
British leaders who see the
bloc’s free market as vital to
their nation’s prosperity.
• Against. Former prime

minister Tony Blair has
urged Britain not to pull
away, but to help build a
new structure to improve
Europe. “It’s a very tricky
task,” he says. “But it’s an
essential one if the U.K. is

not to be sidelined.”
• Also against. Peter

Mandelson, the former
European Union trade
commissioner, warns
that going it alone would
mean a waning influence
for the U.K. on the global
stage. Britain, he says,
soon could be a “Hong
Kong to Europe’s China
or a Canada to Europe’s
United States.”

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Curbside justice

Suspected
traitors shot
on street
Masked gunmen publicly
shot dead six suspected
collaborators with Israel
at a large Gaza City intersection Tuesday, witnesses
said.
An Associated Press
reporter saw a mob
surrounding five of the
bloodied corpses shortly
after the killing.
Some in the crowd
stomped and spat on the
bodies.
A sixth corpse was
tied to a motorcycle and
dragged through the
streets as the crowd of
people screamed, “Spy!
Spy!”
The Hamas military
wing, Izzedine al-Qassam,
claimed responsibility
in a large handwritten
note attached to a nearby
electricity pole.
Hamas said the six
were killed because they
gave Israel information
about fighters and rocketlaunching sites. Hamas
did not provide any proof
of the alleged collaboration.
the associated press

2011 sets a record

A boom year for
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide reached
a record-high level in the
air in 2011, the United Nations weather agency said
Tuesday.
Concentrations of the
heat-trapping pollutant in
the atmosphere averaged
390 parts per million during the year. That is up 40
per cent from before the
Industrial Age, the World
Meteorological Organization said.
the associated press

Troops on move

France pulls out
of Afghanistan
France on Tuesday ended
its combat operations
in Afghanistan, pulling
hundreds of troops from
a base in a volatile region
northeast of Kabul and
fulfilling promises to end
its combat role on a faster
track than other NATO
allies.
After a handover
ceremony with Afghan
troops, 500 French combat soldiers in trucks and
armoured vehicles left the
Nijrab base in the Kapisa
region and travelled
southwest to Kabul, the
capital, said a French
military spokesperson.
the associated press

news

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Saskatchewan. Province
loosens liquor laws but
wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go the full monty
exotic dancing-type without full
nudity in the province,â&#x20AC;? said
Donna Harpauer, minister responsible for the Saskatchewan
Liquor and Gaming Authority.
Saskatchewan is the only
province that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow
stripping and alcohol sales.
Harpauer said the new rule
brings Saskatchewan in line
with New Brunswick, where
genitals must be covered for
men and women and women
must have some coverage of
their breasts. Decorative nipple
coverings, commonly known as
pasties, are allowed under Saskatchewanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new rules.

Saskatchewan is offering new liquor laws that peel back a longheld prohibition against bars
serving booze at stripteases, but
the rules stop short of the full
monty.
The province announced
more than 70 new liquor regulations Tuesday, including the
move to allow alcohol to be
served at striptease performances and wet clothing contests.
But it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow full-frontal
nudity and the sale of liquor to
be mixed.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prohibition against full
nudity is still going to be enforced in Saskatchewan, but
we will allow some stripping,

13

Canucks favour
relaxed pot laws

ahead of government on this
issue for a while.â&#x20AC;?
Under the Conservatives,
Ottawa has veered toward
harsher penalties for marijuana, increasing potential
prison time and imposing
mandatory jail sentences for
A new poll shows a clear major- growing six or more weed
ity of Canadians support loos- plants.
These strategies have drawn
ening the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marijuana
laws, a stance that seems to be criticism from scientists and
starkly out of sync with the fed- organizations such as the BraThe Canadian Press
eral governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current pot zil-based Global Commission
on Drug Policy, which in March
policy.
According to the poll, re- called them â&#x20AC;&#x153;destructive, exleased Tuesday by Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pensive and ineffective.â&#x20AC;?
Recent developments in
Forum Research, 65 per cent
of Canadians favour either the the U.S., where marijuana
legalized in Colorado and
legalization and taxation of Docket:
the was
115 Thorncliffe
Parkor
Drive
Washington
State in electiondrug
decriminalizing
it
in
Toronto Ontario
Client: 0D]GD
day plebiscites, have brought
M4H 1M1 small amounts.
1RYHPEHU$WODQWLF5RW
Job
to the issue in Canâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Very few want the law
toName:
be attention
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Production
Contact: ada.
as it is,â&#x20AC;? said Forum
president
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think (the Conservatives)
Lorne Bozinoff, pointing out
that 17 per cent believe Can- have a morally based belief
adaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current pot laws should model, which is not based
remain, while 15 per cent want on evidence,â&#x20AC;? said Richard
Lascivious legs and liquor have had a divided history in Saskatchewan, but
tougher rules.
T:10â&#x20AC;?Mathias, a professor of public
new laws will allow the sale of alcohol alongside stripteases. GETTY IMAGES
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Public opinion has been health at the University of Brit-

Puff popularity. New
poll suggests that only
a very small minority
want tougher rules

Legalization in Colorado and Washington State has prompted a surge in the
decades-old debate over marijuana laws. Ed Andrieski/The Associated PRess

tion, said the public is too hasty
to favour relaxing weed laws.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the tools
and the training available to
us now to ensure that people
arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t driving cars, for example, or operating machinery, while theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re impaired by
marijuana,â&#x20AC;? he said.

ish Columbia. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is paternalism in the extreme.â&#x20AC;?
Last week, Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau
came out in favour of decriminalization, while leaving the
door open to legalization,
should he ever come to power.
Tom Stamatakis, president
of the Canadian Police Associa-

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14

PM’s associates.
Bribery charges
laid against key
players in U.K.
media scandal
Two former confidants of Britain’s prime minister have been
charged with conspiring to pay
public officials in exchange
for stories and information
— the latest development in
the country’s establishmentshaking scandal over media
malfeasance.
Britain’s Crown Prosecution
Services said former tabloid
editors Andy Coulson and
Rebekah Brooks were among
five people being charged with
conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. Prosecutors said Brooks, a neighbour,
close friend, and political ally
of Prime Minister David Cameron, conspired with journalist
John Kay to funnel as much as
$160,000 to a Ministry of Defence employee in return for
a stream of stories that were
published in Rupert Murdoch’s
The Sun newspaper.
The prosecutors alleged
Coulson, who until last year
served as Cameron’s top press
aide, conspired with journalist
Clive Goodman to pay officials
for access to a royal phone
directory known as the Green
Book. The Associated Press

business

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Rogue UBS trader
gets 7-year sentence
London trial. ‘There is
a strong streak of the
gambler in you,’ judge
tells man who lost $2.2B
A rogue trader who lost $2.2
billion US in bad deals at Swiss
bank UBS was sentenced to seven years in prison Tuesday after
being convicted in what prosecutors called the biggest fraud
case in U.K. banking history.
Ghanaian-born Kweku Adoboli, 32, exceeded his trading
limits and failed to cover his
losses, allegedly faking records
to hide his tracks at the bank’s
London office. At one point,
Adoboli risked running losses
of up to $12 billion US.
“There is a strong streak
of the gambler in you,” Judge
Brian Keith told Adoboli. “You
were arrogant to think the
bank’s rules for traders did not
apply to you.”
Adoboli wiped away tears
as Keith handed down his sentence.
A conviction for fraud carries a maximum jail term of
10 years. The 10-person jury

Kweku Adoboli arrives at Southwark
Crown Court in London on Nov. 15. On
Tuesday, the former UBS trader was
found guilty of two counts of fraud.
Kirsty wigglesworth/The Associated Press

at Southwark Crown Court in
London found Adoboli guilty of
two counts of fraud and innocent of four other false accounting charges.
Adoboli ran into trouble
dealing in exchange-traded
funds, complex financial products that track stocks, bonds
and commodities. Adoboli
admitted the losses, but said

he was pressured by staff to
take risks. He also testified last
month that he had been trying to help UBS survive after
it amassed losses of $52 billion
during the 2007-2008 global financial crisis.
“There were times we
thought there was no way the
organization would survive,”
said Adoboli, who joined UBS
as a trainee in 2003 and rose
quickly to become a senior
trader. “I grew up with UBS. I
felt very loyal to UBS.”
Det. Chief Insp. Perry
Stokes of City of London Police,
who led the investigation of
Adoboli, had a different view,
believing the trader’s motive
was “to increase his bonus, his
status, his job prospects and
his ego.”
“Adoboli was a sophisticated fraudster,” Stokes said.
“He was one of the most accomplished fraudsters that I’ve
seen in my time investigating
serious fraud.”
After questions were raised
about his trading, Adoboli
walked off the job and sent
an email to colleagues saying
what he had done.

Air travel

Research in Motion

WestJet customers
may get mobile
entertainment
WestJet Airlines plans to
test a new entertainment
system next year that
will allow passengers to
use their tablets, computers and smart phones to
access in-flight television
and connect to the Internet, CEO Gregg Saretsky
said Tuesday.
The Canadian Press

Sponsorship

Analyst gives BB10
better odds
Prominent tech analyst
Peter Misek of New Yorkbased Jeffries & Company is
giving Research In Motion’s
new BlackBerry 10 operating system an improved
chance of success in the
competitive smartphone
market when it launches in
early 2013. He now says the
system has a 20 per cent to
30 per cent probability of
success. The Canadian Press
Market Minute

Hockeyville
program is latest
lockout casualty
Kraft Canada cancelled
its popular Hockeyville
program Tuesday, a victim
of the protracted National
Hockey League lockout that
is seeing sponsors as well as
fans grow weary.
Kraft said it would give
$1 million to Hockey Canada affiliated minor hockey
associations instead of the
annual competition that rewards Canadian communities for their involvement
in their local arenas.
The Canadian Press

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on the origin
of midlife
crises
There’s more evidence to prove
that homo sapiens is descended
from apes.
Paul Sullivan
According to a study involvmetronews.ca
ing 500 great apes published in
the, ahem, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, chimpanzees and orangutans
experience a midlife crisis, just like us.
It’s just more difficult to tell, as an ape with angst is unlikely to purchase a Porsche.
I knew it was hereditary! For all we know, it’s as universal
as life itself: Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas … if
you’re alive, you know the exact moment when you’re over
the hill.
For humans, it’s traditionMonkey business
ally 45-55. Chimps turn into
chumps around 27 or 28 and
Realizing you’re over
orangutans get the memo at
about 35.
the hill by 35 is not
That’s not great news if
great news if you live
you live in a zoo, because
in a zoo, because you
you can expect to live to 50.
can expect to live to 50. That’s at least 15 years of
old, same old: monkey
That’s at least 15 years same
chow three times a day,
of same old, same old: children banging on the glass
while their parents take flash
monkey chow three
photos, and Bonzo over there
times a day, children
trying to horn in on your
banging on the glass
harem.
Of course, this could be
while their parents take
of a comment on the
flash photos, and Bonzo more
apes’ handlers than on the
over there trying to
apes themselves, as they
horn in on your harem. were asked to fill out the
forms documenting the
general mood of their apes,
the joy their charges gained from socializing and how would
they feel if they had to be an ape for a week.
After a very bad day of putting up with banana breath and
monkeyshines, it’s only human for a handler to project his
or her feelings on the nearest living being, even if said being
is more interested in another banana than anything else.
Whatever, the good news is that it gets better.
Just when Bonzo’s grinning mug makes Cheetah want to
throw his feces, he begins to realize that three squares ain’t
so bad. After all, he could still be stuck in some jungle in
Botswana, dodging lions and poachers, using a stick to root
for termites.
This is roughly analogous to the process of acceptance in
humans.
If we survive our midlife crises without pitching our feces
around the office or getting caught surfing NSFW on the
Internet, we can look forward to increasing happiness that
reaches its peak around 70.
Of course, there are good reasons old guys are happy.
They get there early before the lineups. Plus they get the
seniors’
discount.
The bottom line:
If you’re
feeling like
the pack has
passed you
by, it has less
to do with
your sorry
circumstances and
more to do
with your
hormonal
imbalance.
Just hang
on.
Primate
Prime Time
I’m not monkeying around — apes experience a
is about to
midlife crisis, too. Ian Waldie/Getty Images
begin.

Duke and duchess
revamp website
This is an undated handout
photo issued by the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge’s
website on Tuesday of Britain’s Prince William making
a cup of tea while working
as a helicopter search-andrescue pilot at RAF Valley on
Anglesey, Wales.
Many of the exclusive
pictures that gave an insight
into the life of the flight
lieutenant in Wales at his
day job pilot had to be
taken down hours after they
were posted due to security
concerns.

The pictures offered a
rare look into the typical
day in the life for Prince
William in his work flying
RAF Sea King helicopters
from their base at RAF
Valley on Anglesey, north
Wales — from planning and
preparing for any emergency callout to resting
with his colleagues during
downtime.
But the images also
included unclassified user
names, passwords and
computer screens. Britain’s
Ministry of Defence said in
a statement Tuesday that
passwords and user names
were reset as a precaution
and that the photos were
reissued.

Shift work

24 hrs

The latest post on the website detailed
Prince William’s typical schedule of a
24-hour shift as a pilot.

When duty doesn’t call
• The site reveals that

Call of Duty is a favourite among Prince
Will and his friends.

• On Wednesday even

more photos will be
posted — this time
by the Duchess —
of the trip she and
Will took to Asia in
September.

• Will’s current tour

will end by fall 2013,
and at that time he
is set to decide if he
wants to stay on for a
few more years.

the associated press

Twitter
Register at metropolitanpanel.ca
and take the quick poll

Are you afraid Canada could fall off the
“fiscal cliff” along with the U.S.?
80%

Ocean’s raw power inspires,
creates cinematic awe in Pi
New release. Life of Pi
joins a long list of films
who have used the
beauty and the beast
of the blue as a wild
backdrop
IN
FOCUS

Richard Crouse
scene@metronews.ca

Joseph Conrad wrote of the
ocean’s awesome power: “The
sea has never been friendly to
man.”
Less eloquent is this quote
from Beauty Queens by Libba Bray: “You can’t believe
how bleeding scary the sea
is! There’s, like, whales and

storms and s—t!”
Not to mention killer
whales, giant waves and even
H-bomb mutated giant octopuses!
The ocean and its power
has been challenging cinematic sailors for decades.
From the early screen
adaptations of Moby Dick
to the crazy sea monsters of
1950s B-movies to this weekend’s The Life of Pi, based on
the megahit novel by Yann
Martel, the ocean has provided a wet and wild backdrop
for Hollywood.
Pi’s story of a boy set adrift
on the ocean in a lifeboat with
only a tiger for a companion
is a coming-of-age story that
uses the sea as a metaphor.
Most films are more literal.
The giant wave that capsizes the ship in The Poseidon

Be Inspired By

Adventure was no metaphor,
it was a terrifying display of
the ocean’s power, even if it
was filmed using a 21 foot 6
inch long miniature ship in a
300 by 350 foot water tank on
a Hollywood stage.
Filmmakers have often
looked to sea creatures for
inspiration. Everything from
LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring
to Sharktopus features fantasy monsters unleashed by
the deep. One of the bestknown B-movies of the 1950s
is It Came From Beneath the
Sea, the story of a giant octopus awakened by the radiation from H-bomb tests.
The film was so low
budget, special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen cut corners by building his octopus
model with six rather than
the usual eight tentacles. To

cover his cheat, he posed the
creature so viewers couldn’t
count the arms.
Finally, Orca, the best
known of the killer whale
movies, shows a much more
real threat.
Or does it?
The joke is that killer
whales aren’t all that dangerous — to humans anyway.
“There has never been a
substantiated case of an orca
killing a man,” wrote Outside
magazine’s Tim Cahill, “despite the 1977 movie Orca,
in which a killer whale seeks
revenge on Richard Harris
by eating all his co-stars. The
movie was so silly, unscientific and unbelievable that
one critic suggested Harris
fight a duel to the death with
his agent for getting him the
role.”

SCENE

The long awaited screen adaptation of The Life of Pi finally arrives in theatres this weekend.

17

Life of Pi

Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel
published in 2001.
• Background. The main
character, Piscine Molitor
“Pi” Patel, a young
Indian boy, explores
issues of spirituality and
practicality.
• Awards. The book was
chosen for CBC Radio’s
Canada Reads 2003. The
year before, it won the
Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Martel was only the
third Canadian to ever
win the literary legends
nod. It dates back to
1969.

•••••
The original Red Dawn was
such a product of the Cold
War paranoia that remaking
it seems doomed for failure.
Spokane, Wash., is the target
of an invasion that leaves
a group of students in the
surrounding hills launching guerilla-style assaults. A
cyber weapon knocks out
communications, ensuring
that nothing modern is going to creep into this do-over
that follows the original’s
plot points to a T. The cast
are likeable and some of the
action sequences are thrilling. But changing the invaders from Chinese to North
Korean in post-production
leaves gaps in the story and
does little to boost the inanity of the plot. Ian Gormely

•••••
Based on Yann Martel’s
megahit 2001 novel, Life
of Pi stars Suraj Sharma as
Pi Patel, a 16-year-old boy
set adrift on a lifeboat after
the freighter his family
was taking from India to a
new life in Canada sinks.
His companion is Richard
Parker, a Bengal tiger, and
refugee from the Patel
family zoo. The metaphorical and introspective story
is complimented by many
startlingly beautiful images
and a spiritual undertow.
Despite drifting off course
from time to time with
some ill advised magic realism and some repetition,
Lee for the most part steers
the story into safe, comforting waters.

Rise of the
Guardians

The Silver Linings
Playbook

Starring. Alec Baldwin, Hugh
Jackman

Starring. Bradley Cooper,
Jennifer Lawrence

Director. Peter Ramsey

Director. David O. Russell

•••••

•••••

A wacky adventure that
casts legendary characters
like Santa Claus and the
Easter Bunny in some sort
of superhero squad, Rise
of the Guardians may be
kitschy, but the storyline
never quite gels amidst
its frenetic, plentiful 3Daction.
While the tale of these
icons defending the innocence of adolescents from
the Bogeyman seems
earnest enough, the film
feels like a forced renovation on famous folklore
for today’s toddlers.

Like his previous The
Fighter, The Silver Linings
Playbook is a conventional
genre film (in this case
a rom-com) pumped up
with shrill, melodramatic
acting. The goal is to win
Oscars, and while Jennifer
Lawrence may get there for
her manic-depressive-pixiedream girl, Bradley Cooper
— as the bipolar object of
her affections — is out of
his depth. The film’s mixture of screaming hyperrealism and trite narrative
contrivances does grow
slightly more palatable as it
goes along, but the overall
effect is still unappetizing.

Exclusively online
Get more
entertainment online
at metronews.ca/scene

Furtado says farewell to 2012 with New Year’s Eve bash
Niagara Falls. Canadian
singer talks latest
album while reflecting
on the past year
Anne
brodie

scene@metronews.ca

Nelly Furtado will bid 2012
farewell and ring in 2013 by
headlining Entertainment Tonight Canada’s fourth annual
New Year’s Eve bash at Niagara Falls.
The show caps a busy time
for Furtado — it follows the
release of her latest album,
recording with David Frost

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and Andre Bocelli and preparing for a Canadian tour
launching in her hometown
of Victoria on Jan. 8.
Congratulations on the New
Year’s Eve show. Why did
you want to do it?
Last year, I had the pleasure
of watching it on TV and I
thought, “Wow, what a fun
party” so I put it out there on
some level, and the timing
is really good with my tour
with Hedley and the Dragonettes. I’m actually really
excited about it.
As the headliner, you’ll be
onstage at midnight. Who
are you going to kiss?
Well, my husband, but I
don’t want to do that on
television, so I’ll dance with
wild abandon so people will
forget that moment.
I’ll be busy singing, but
I’ll be watching the other
people kissing.
New Year’s is time to party
but also time to reflect.
What are you grateful for
these days?
I’m grateful to be Canadian,
to live in a country with so
many freedoms and liberty
and peace, the ability to walk
down the street and not
worry about violence and I’m
really grateful to be ambassador for Free the Children.
It’s remarkably fulfilling
for me and I meet pretty

Nelly Furtado is set to rock ET Canada’s New Year’s Eve at Niagara Falls on Dec. 31 at 10 p.m. on Global. Getty images

inspiring people.
Then you’re touring Canada
for The Spirit Indestructible.
In the dead of winter!
Isn’t that funny — a Canadian tour in dead of winter?
I’m a true Canadian!
I’m kind of excited to
think that, it has a ring to it.
Guaranteed we’ll be stuck in
the snow.
The Spirit Indestructible
mixes musical influences
and languages. It’s so rich.
I think it’s kind of creative
rain, like what I had writing

in Spanish.
It was very fulfilling
and almost like an English
drought. I had nothing to say
in English for two or three
years and one day the rain
came down and hallelujah!
Lord only knows what I’ll do
next.
It’s been a rush of adrenaline and a creative high.
I’m recording a follow-up in
Spanish and a follow-up in
English and Spanish.
Why did you draw inspiration from looking back to
your early music?

I think the best songs look
backward. Think how nostalgic Tragically Hip’s Phantom
Power is.
It makes you feel great.
Bryan Adams’ Summer of 69.
It’s truly reliving a moment
sonically and if you can do
that with music, you can
time travel. It’s fun for the
listener and the creator.
Will your nine year old
daughter Nevis be at the
Falls show?
Every kid loves staying up
till midnight. It’s one of the
greatest joys of the holidays!

Family Vision Clinic
25 th Year Anniversary Celebration
dish

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

METRO DISH
OUR TAKE ON THE WORLD OF CELEBRITIES

Wood shoots down pregnancy rumours
Newlywed Evan Rachel
Wood is combatting
pregnancy rumours after
she was photographed this
week in L.A. grabbing her
stomach and wearing a
baggy poncho while grocery
shopping with husband
Jamie Bell.

The speculation is unfounded, though, the actress
insists.
“Sorry to disappoint. But
no baby on the way here,”
Wood posted to Twitter after
the photos hit gossip sites.
The pair quietly tied the
knot three weeks ago.

It’s getting tough to keep
track of where Justin
Bieber and Selena Gomez
are in their breaking up
and making up.
After a fiery, argumentfilled dinner this weekend
that ended with Gomez
storming off, the pair
apparently reunited after
the American Music
Awards Sunday night to
celebrate Bieber’s wins,
according to Us Weekly.
Gomez and Bieber hit
up a private party hosted
by Bieber’s manager,
sticking to a hidden table
in the back room with
plenty of security around
as they snuck in a few
kisses, a source reveals,
adding that they were,
“dancing on each other.
They seemed to be in
great spirits and were
clearly enjoying their
time together.”
They reportedly left
together through a back
exit at around 2:30 a.m.

Ashton Kutcher seems
to be choosing where to
spend his time these days
based on where rumoured
girlfriend Mila Kunis is
shooting a movie.
After a few months
in New York, the couple
has now been spotted
in Rome, where Kunis is
filming The Third Person,
according to Hollyscoop.
They also found time
for some romantic dinners out and strolling
around the city hand-inhand, doing little to keep
their relationship under
wraps.

The Word

Rihanna’s fans
(hostages)
finally released
from her tour
the
word

Katarina Matsson
scene@metronews.ca

Monday night was Ri-Ri’s
final show in New York,
finishing off a week of mayhem at 35,000 feet. Metro
has been by her side for
seven crazy days.

Back up by 24 hours:
Prior to Monday’s show in
London, Rihanna was at the
Westfield Shopping mall in
Stratford (built just before
the Olympic Games), to set
the Christmas light display
ablaze. Rumour has it she
got $793,000 to show up,
but there’s no confirmation
yet. There, Rihanna holds
the closest she has gotten to
a press conference.
“I love this album like
it wasn’t my own!” she exclaims.
After one song, she takes
off in a golf cart, leaving her

Quote

“I love Rihanna but she
could have played more
than one song.”
Vanessa Leadbitter

fans disappointed.
“I’ve been waiting since
12 o’clock,” fan Vanessa
Leadbitter says. “I love Rihanna, but she could have
played more than one song!”
Fast-forward five hours
and we’re at the venue: The
Forum in London’s Kentish

Town area.
Rihanna enters on time
(almost), which might have
something to do with the
fact that Jay-Z is livestreaming the gig. The star puts on
her best performance since
Stockholm, despite technical problems.
At the after-party, she’s
nowhere to be seen, but the
backing band are pleased.
“It helps not being four
hours late,” one mutters.
At 3 a.m., the buses leave
the hotel for the airport. A
mere six hours after that,
we’re on the plane to N.Y.

For more info call: 462-4600
or visit our website
www.familyvisionclinic.ca

and they correct a wide range
For further information or to have
of vision problems including
an eye examination, you can see
nearsightedness, farsightedness,
Dr. Marni Denman or any of her
and astigmatism. Daily disposable
colleagues at the following Family
contact lenses have become
Vision Clinic locations.
increasingly popular because they
Halifax Location:
require very little maintenance.
They are replaced after each use so Park West Centre: 287 Lacewood Drive
your child would always be putting 457-2224
in a fresh pair of lenses.
Dartmouth Locations:
Contact lenses are also great
Queen Square: 45 Alderney Drive
for children active in sports. Sport
469-8230
eyeglasses are available but can
Tacoma Plaza: 50 Tacoma Drive
still fog up on occasion and can
434-1231
be cumbersome. Contact lenses
move with your eye and give you
Superstore Mall: 650 Portland Street
unobstructed peripheral vision
462-4600
during competition. This can give
faster reaction
time during play.
If fit properly,
your child’s vision
remains stable
Ask us about Bausch + Lomb contact lenses designed to
and accurate.
reduce the appearance of halos and glare at night.
Wearing contact
lenses can also
increase a child’s
self-esteem. Many
children don’t
like the way they
look in glasses.
Switching from
glasses to contact
lenses could
change the way
your child views
.ca
their self-image
which will boost
their self-esteem.
When children
feel good about
themselves,
including their
appearance,
this affects their
performance in
all aspects of
their lives.

Win a pair of
Sunglasses!
Lenses Provided by:

Win Free Lenses
for Life!*

*some conditions apply, see in clinic for details

Have you noticed a problem
with glare while driving at night?

a Novartis company

Alcon would like to
extend its congratulations
to the Family Vision Clinic
on 25 years in business
and continued success in
the future
From the
makers of:

Parents frequently ask eye care
professionals if contact lenses
are safe and appropriate for their
children. They want to know if
their child is old enough to start
wearing contact lenses. More
important than age is the child’s
maturity and ability to handle
the responsibilities involved with
wearing contact lenses. This
involves proper storing, cleaning,
and replacing of the lenses as
instructed as well as learning
insertion and removal techniques.
Parents should ask themselves if
their child has the maturity to take
on these responsibilities. They
should ask themselves how their
child handles other responsibilities
given to them, such as, keeping
their room tidy, staying on top of
assigned chores, and following
good hygiene practices. If they can
handle everyday duties well then
they might make good contact lens
candidates.
Children’s eyes are physically
able to tolerate contact lenses
at a very young age and in some
instances infants are fit with
contact lenses for congenital
reasons. As a general rule of
thumb, 12 years old is a good age
for most children to be fit with
contact lenses, however, your
child’s candidacy for contact lens
use will be up to your Optometrist.
Parents thinking contact lenses
might be a good option for
their child should speak to their
Optometrist about whether their
child would be a good candidate
for contact lens use and which
type of contact lenses would best
suit them.
Advances in contact lens
technology have made them
more comfortable than ever

Congratulations on 25 Years
in business from your friends
at CIBA Vision.

Congratulations
Family Vision
on your 25 Year
Anniversary

From CooperVision, manufacturers
of Quality Contact Lenses.

Congratulations
from Essilor on
25 Years in Business

Family Vision Clinic
25 th Year Anniversary Celebration
TRAVEL

22

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Disney’s Magic Europe

LIFE

Starting June, 2013, the Disney Magic cruise ship sails to new ports in Turkey and Italy. Disney Cruise Line partners with local tourist
companies to deliver unique family oriented Port Adventures. These pre-booked excursions include activities for the whole family.
The Magic will have four, seven, and 12 days sailings to the Mediterranean this summer.
STORY AND PHOTOS: KATHY BUCKWORTH
life@metronews.ca

Turkey
A scavenger hunt in St.
John Basilica has guests
following clues and finding treasures to help an
archaeologist (actor) solve
a puzzle, while touring
this ancient church, home
to St. John the Apostle’s
burial spot. The hunt
continues in the ancient
Roman city of Ephesus,
where groups can speak
with a real archeologist to
learn the art of a “dig” and

look for treasure. A lunch
tour features Grecian
gowns for guests to wear
as they eat typical Roman
food, meet Cleopatra
and judge an epic battle
between two gladiators.
Disney gives parents the
opportunity to shop in
Sirince, while kids are
given a lesson on how to
make typical glass bead
bracelets or necklaces. A
trip to the traditional Turkish Bath is also organized.

Rome
Every Disney Mediterranean
cruise stops in Rome, and most
cruisers want to hit “the big
five.” The Vatican (museum), St.
Peter’s Basilica, the Coliseum,
the Pantheon and the Trevi
Fountain. There are a variety of
port excursions to choose for
these. Other Port Adventures include the Gallerie Borghese and
Teatro del Burattino. Unique to

Venice
Venice is the only overnight stop
on the 12-day cruise. Developed
for kids, Venetian mask making is
proving to be popular for families.
Guidance is provided by professional mask makers as guests paint
and decorate a unique souvenir.
The Canottieri Bucintoro rowing club will take guests aged 16
and over for a unique three hour

opportunity to learn how to row
like a Gondolier in the waters of
Venice. Participants are awarded a
certificate in “voga veneta”, as well
as prosecco and snacks. Venice’s
most famous landmark, the Doge’s
Palace, is made available for a private tour after hours, and in true
Disney style, a special reception
at the end of the tour is hosted
by Disney Princesses, who come
ashore from the ship.

Disney, a puppet show in English
delights the kids while parents
grab 45 minutes of shopping
(or a quick gelato) at the nearby
Spanish Steps. Kids are supervised by youth counsellors from
the ship; parents are welcome
to stay. An adult-only activity is
offered at the ArtStudio Café to
create mosaic art under the direction of one of Rome’s premier
artists, while enjoying wine,
local cheese and cured meats.

TRAVEL

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A weekend in Mexico City
Capital. You have two
days in one of the
world’s largest cities.
We have the plan

Mexico City is like a map
of the human brain: a simmering,
complex,
everchanging storehouse of history, art, fashion and food.
At 923 square kilometres and
20 million people, you could
spend weeks just getting acquainted, but with cheaper
fares now available, it’s possible to enjoy this fascinating
city in shorter increments.

the Aztec Calendar.
After learning what’s come
before, it’s time to plunge into
modern Mexico. Head to the
Zocalo, the bustling plaza in
the heart of historic downtown,
and stop into the National Palace to see Diego Rivera’s rustic
yet bitingly political murals.
Spend a quiet moment in the
Metropolitan Cathedral before
lunch at a rooftop restaurant
overlooking the square — and
the excavation of an ancient
temple found during a dig to
lay the electrical system.
After a brief siesta, cap off
your day with shopping, dinner and nightlife in the hip
Condessa and adjoining La
Roma neighbourhoods. There,
you’ll find a mixture of tourist
spots and local shops.

The zocalo thinkstock

Saturday

Sunday

Street food thinkstock

A good place to start is the
Museum of Anthropology,
where you’ll get a sense of
the country’s ancient culture
and mythology. With jetlag working in your favour,
head over early to beat the
crowds, and then wander
among edifices of ancient
temples, handmade gold and
turquoise jewelry and the original Stone of the Sun, a.k.a.

Start your day in Coyoacan, a
quaint, relaxed neighbourhood
and home to Casa Azul, where
artists Frida Kahlo and Diego
Rivera lived from 1929 to 1954.
Their passion is evident in both
their lovingly preserved household and their exhibited works.
But let’s get real — you’re there
for the food.
A few blocks south of Casa
Azul is the Mercado de Coyo-

REBECCA
FINKEL

life@metronews.ca

acan: a massive indoor space
where vendors sling some
of the freshest (and cheapest) street fare in the city.
Service is friendly but dizzyingly brisk — just belly up to
a table, be brave and order.
Don’t miss Tostadas de Coyoacan, where shrimp or fish
ceviche is piled atop delicately crisp tortillas.
Continue south to the

Plaza del Coyocan to cool
your tongue with a paleta
(cream- or fruit-based popsicle) or to re-energize with
a cappuccino. Just off the
plaza is the Mercado Artisinal, where you can shop
for local crafts and freshly-blended molé powder
(which, unlike the fresh
paste, can be smuggled
home in your carry-on).

Check out La Ciudad. Thinkstock

23

24

TRAVEL

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

After the party, it’s the hotel lobby ...
New book takes a peek at top inns
Secrets of the stay.
How to get the service
staff on your side
and the most out of
sleeping in a bed
that’s not your own
gina
angelotti

Metro World News in New York

Jacob Tomsky’s hilariously
irreverent memoir Heads in
Beds chronicles the all-work,
no-sleep, but never dull lifestyle of the young hotelier
and the innermost workings
of high-end hotels. “I hope to
train people,” Tomsky says.
“Either they’ll realize our
struggle and be kinder or
they’ll be terrified of us, and
they’ll be kinder.”
He shares five-star advice for
your next check-in.

Start your stay off right with a generous tip for your bellman. istock

what are some ways hotels
cater to a vacationer’s fantasies?
In a hotel, you essentially
have servants — people who
get you things, clean things

If “service is about minimizing negatives and creating
the illusion of perfection,”

for you. Invisibility is also an
element. You go out to get
lunch and magically when
you come back everything’s
perfect; there’s a feeling of
luxury that comes from not

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Flights are from Halifax via Air Transat or CanJet. Prices shown are per person, based on double occupancy in lead room category. Space and prices are
subject to availability at time of booking and subject to change without prior notice. Taxes and fees are extra and noted above. For full descriptions and terms
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Halifax Metro • November 21, 2012 • 4.921 x 6.182

Jacob Tomsky, a hotelier, is the author of Heads in Beds. handout

seeing who’s working for
you. And extra amenities
— lint rollers, deodorants,
slippers — there are so many
things hotels have to make
you feel at home, but those

aren’t things you actually
have at home.
How might you persuade a
guest to take advantage of
the hotel experience?
Make a connection with the
front-desk agent or doorman and anytime you enter
the lobby, they’ll call you by
name and ask if you need
anything. Take bell service
so you don’t have to deal
with your luggage. Indulge
in movies and the minibar.
(Disputing these charges)
is pretty much a victimless
crime, hotels pay a set rate
for cable. And there are
ways to avoid mark-ups. If
you want room service, but
it’s like $49 for a burger,
call the front desk or get
online: Many restaurants
deliver to hotels. Call room
service and say, “I’m going
to eat in my room, can
you send up plates and
silverware?” You’ll get your
opulent setup — they might
charge you a small fee —
and then eat take-out.
What’s the tipping standard
for a hotel?
The rock bottom for bellmen
and doormen is $2 a bag. I
also think going under $5
is a bad idea; give $5 to the
doorman and $10 to the bellman. It’s important to have
them on your side (obviously,
with access to your personal
items). If you’re checking in
and you have no cash, there
is an ATM around. And not
having change sounds like a
horrible excuse. Some people
feel weird about tipping,
that’s one thing I’d like to
get rid of. I remember I was
walking through a hotel
lobby and this lady was like,
“I want to thank you for
what you did for me.” I still
have no idea who she was

and I’m pretty sure I didn’t
help her, but she gave me a
dollar, so I said, “Thank you.”
That’s when I knew I was a
full-on hustler (laughs). It’s
not uncomfortable (to accept
tips) for little bits of service.
You look bad if you don’t tip,
but you don’t look bad if you
try to tip.
Any advice for solo travellers?
If you have a doorman
(at your hotel), that guy’s
like the ambassador to the
20-block radius. Introduce
yourself. Don’t talk their
ear off, the doorman’s not
really going to be your
friend, especially during
a two-night stay if you’ve
never been there before.
But he will help you find
your way around. Ask questions and then tip small
amounts for the information.
What are some key words
guests should use to get on
the good side of hotel staff?
Start sentences with “I understand.” Like, “I understand that
you are really busy and there
are not a lot of rooms available, but if there is something
...” Just be aware that there’s
a huge difference between
demanding and requesting.
Using those words means that
“I understand that I am not
guaranteed what I am about to
ask for.”
How has “being all things to
all people” affected your life
outside of hotels?
I’ve learned to be a chameleon.
Being able to read people and
adapt myself to them for our
mutual benefit is a life skill.
There’s no reason not to alter
your personality just a little
bit based on the person you’re
dealing with. That’s called being polite.

FOOD

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Roasted Vegetable Quiche
boasts hint of indulgence
This simple, colourful quiche
is jammed with seasonal
vegetables and has just
enough rich Gruyère to make
it taste indulgent.
But the most indulgent
aspect of this recipe is that
it can be prepared and baked
the day before your next
family dinner, meaning you
have one less dish to worry
about on the day of.
Just pop it into a 300 F
oven for 10 to 15 minutes to
warm right before serving.

Roasted Vegetable Quiche

Ingredients

This recipe serves eight. matthew mead/ the associated press

coat. Spread the mixture on
a rimmed baking sheet and
roast for 30 minutes, or until
the vegetables are tender and
beginning to brown. Remove
the vegetables from the oven.

3. Reduce the heat to 350 F.

4. If it isn’t already, fit the
pie crust into a pie pan,
crimping the edges as needed. Place the pie shell on a
baking sheet and add the
roasted vegetables. Top with
the cheese.

together the eggs and the
half-and-half. Pour over the
cheese and vegetables. Bake
for 45 minutes, or until
slightly puffed and set in the
middle. Allow to cool slightly
before serving.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk

The Associated Press

Cornbread-Stuffing Mushrooms. Attractive appetizer
2.

Arrange mushrooms on a
rimmed baking sheet, gill sides
up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast for 15 minutes.

When the mushrooms are
done, pour any liquid that has
collected on the rimmed baking sheet into the cornbread
mixture. If the mixture is dry,
sprinkle in a bit of vegetable
broth. Gently mix. Spoon the
mixture into the mushroom
caps and return to the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until

nish with three brandied
cherries.
metro world news/john mccarthy, whitehall bar and
kitchen in new york

26

WORK/EDUCATION

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

To market, to market to land a new gig
Create your dream
career. How to break
into the marketing
field without a
business degree

every arts student has mastered (or at least should have
mastered) after four years of
undergrad.

Justine
Abigail Yu
TalentEgg.ca

“You’re an artsie, you’re an
artsie, you’re an artsie overjoyed…but you’ll always be
an artsie and you’ll never be
employed!”
Or so the chant goes. This
was one of the playful taunts
that would be hurled at us
arts students back in university.
I studied political science
and sociology in my undergrad and one question I always used to get from family
and friends was, “What are
you gonna do with that?”
Well, let’s just say I turned
it into a blossoming career
(modesty aside) in communications and marketing for
the non-profit sector. It’s not
quite the traditional or linear
route, but is there ever such a
thing in life?
I first broke into the indus-

More than the degree, employers want to see that you can apply yourself creatively, so step up and show them something different. istock

try back in 2009 with a winning combination of great
timing, determination, and
good ol’ fashioned hard work.
Social media (now part
and parcel of marketing
and communications) was
just beginning to blow up
in the non-profit world and
I somehow nabbed myself a
social media internship at an

international development
organization. Since then, I’ve
worked in communications
and marketing positions with
non-profits and businesses
alike. So how do I do it even
without the degree?
Hit the books
A lot of what I’ve learned
has been self-taught. I hit the

books and the blogs to learn
about basic marketing principles and to keep up with the
latest social media trends.
It’s something that I
haven’t stopped doing since I
entered the field. In the fastpaced technological world we
live in today, it’s essential to
keep up with the latest trends
to keep your edge.
Be a Jack of all trades and a
master of one
Who ever said that this had
to be an either/or option? I
honestly believe that in today’s world, it’s not enough
that you just specialize in one
thing and one thing alone.
You’ve got to have a wide and
diverse set of skills to thrive
in this dynamic and often uncertain economy.
That’s why I continually
build on my skill set, learning the basics of coding and
Photoshop while exploring

Dream it, be it

“Live and breathe the
position you want to see
yourself in and present
yourself as such.”
Justine Abigail Yu

new tech tools available.
Trust me, there is great value
in this versatility and being
someone that your employers can always count on ain’t
a bad thing!
Leverage that arts degree
I didn’t go to business school
and I don’t have a marketing
or communications degree,
but my background as an
arts student has equipped me
with skills absolutely vital
in this field. I’ve leveraged
the analytical, research and
communication skills that

Network, network, network
When I first started, I networked like crazy. In fact, I
still do and you should too.
Attend industry events and
connect with all kinds of professionals more experienced
than you. Set up informational interviews to really
immerse yourself in the field
and extract as much knowledge and information from
them as possible.
Market yourself
What kind of marketer or
communicator would you be
if you couldn’t even sell yourself, right? Build your personal brand and carve a niche
for yourself. Find a way to set
yourself apart from the rest
of the crowd. I’ve done that
by making a home for myself
on the Internet and giving an
alternative to that boring old
text-based resumé.
Fake it ’til you make it
The rest is what I like to call
faking it ’til you make it. For
a while, you’ll feel like a bit of
a sham working in the field
without the degree or experience (I know I did!), but trust
me, that stuff is overrated.
Live and breathe the position
you want to see yourself in
and present yourself as such.
Learn the ropes, work relentlessly hard, make those
connections and before you
know it, you’ve broken into
the industry and are probably
rocking it without even realizing it.
TalentEgg.ca, Canada’s leading job
site and online career resource
for students and new graduates,
wants to hear your Student Voice.
Share it at TalentEgg.ca.

Featuring: Julie Devaney (an up and coming author
and health activist who will share her experiences
as told in her new book My Leaky Body); Dr. Ian Epstein
(IBD: What is it? What’s new?); Dr. Des Leddin – (how to
make the most of your GI visits)

Made possible by an unrestricted grant from

Available anywhere.

Visit www.ccfc.ca/symposiums

Download the new Metro app today.

Tracy Durkee-Jones |902-422-8137| tdurkee-jones@ccfc.ca

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the spirit spa
difference

staying connected
Spirit Spa has a strong social media
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or Twitter @SpiritSpaHFX.

If Nathan MacKinnon is Star
1 on the Halifax Mooseheads,
then Jonathan Drouin is Star
1A.
As good as MacKinnon has
been this season — and he’s
been very, very good — Drouin
has been just as dominant.
Halifax is reaping the rewards of an offensive one-two
punch most other teams in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey
League can only dream about.
“We could see after last

season that he would be ready
for this season, to be a dominant player,” Mooseheads coach
Dominique Ducharme said of
Drouin, who, like MacKinnon,
is 17. “It’s always hard to predict, but we’re not that surprised at how well he’s been
doing.”
As impressive as his numbers are — 15 goals and 20 assists in 16 games — what stands
out most about Drouin is the
way he dominates handling
the puck. Trying as they might,
opposing players seem unable
to get the puck away from him,
and can be left standing in disbelief after watching him make
a sweet pass or a beauty deke.
“He’s got a really good vision. He sees what’s coming
to him, and what the options
are, what’s going to be open,”
Ducharme said. “The second
thing he’s got is enough skills

Friendly rivalry

Mooseheads coach Dominique Ducharme says Jonathan Drouin and Nathan
MacKinnon have developed
a friendly rivalry and push
each other to be better.
•

“I think Jonathan respects the way Nathan
plays and his strength
and everything, and
same with Nathan. He is
really respectful of what
Jonathan can bring and
what he does,” Ducharme said. “They just push
themselves to become
better, but in a good
way.”

and good enough hands — really special hands — to be buying

himself even more time. That’s
what makes him special.”
For his part, Drouin says
he’s happy with how his season
is going and isn’t surprised he’s
been producing the way he has.
“I know I have the ability,”
he said. “I’m playing my game
and it’s going really well. I just
have to keep it up.”
Helping Drouin is the
chemistry between him and
MacKinnon. The two have
played on the same line all season and have combined for 72
points.
“They’re different. Nathan
is explosive and he’s got speed,
he’s got quick hands, and a
quick shot. And Jonathan has
the vision and the hands,”
Ducharme said. “If they were
exactly the same, it probably
wouldn’t work. It’s because
they’re different that they play
well together.”

QMJHL. Mooseheads to host top 10 CHL rival
Two of the top teams in the
Canadian Hockey League
will be facing off on Wednesday night at the Metro
Centre.
The Halifax Mooseheads,
ranked No. 1, are hosting the
No. 8 Baie-Comeau Drakkar
at 7 p.m. in their first meeting of the season.
“It’s going to be a big
challenge, but I think our

guys enjoy playing in games
like that,” said Mooseheads
head
coach
Dominique
Ducharme.
“Baie-Comeau
is playing really well defensively and offensively. We’ll
need to be sharp early.
A big strength for Halifax
this season is its offensive
depth. The team has three
lines that are producing,
with five players already re-

cording 10 or more goals and
two others sitting at nine.
“It’s hard because it’s kind
of relentless pressure on
the other team,” Ducharme
said of the team’s offence.
“When Nathan’s line comes
off, you’ve got Boudreau’s
line and then Andrew’s line.
All lines are different too,
they bring something different. They have different

Two of the best

Halifax (19-2-0-1) is first in
the QMJHL with 39 points,
with the Drakkar (16-4-1-2)
third at 35 points.

strengths. It’s hard for the
other teams to manage.”
PHILIP CROUCHER/METRO

In what should be a surprise
to no one, two members of
the Halifax Mooseheads are
ranked as the top-two NHL
draft prospects amongst
skaters in the QMJHL for
next year’s NHL draft.
NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings
for the 2013 draft were
revealed Tuesday for all
leagues and Mooseheads
centre Nathan MacKinnon
is at No. 1 for the Q, followed by teammate and
linemate Jonathan Drouin.
For goaltenders in the
QMJHL, Zachary Fucale of
the Halifax Mooseheads is
ranked No. 1.
All three Mooseheads
are considered potential
first-round draft picks, with
many believing MacKinnon
will go No. 1 and Drouin
somewhere in the top five.
METRO

Nathan MacKinnon
JEFF HARPER/METRO

QMJHL

Val-d’Or forward
banned 2 games
for racist remark
A member of the Val-d’Or
Foreurs who directed a
racist remark towards Halifax Mooseheads defenceman Trey Lewis during
Sunday’s game at the Metro
Centre has been suspended
two games.
The Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League announced the suspension to
forward Vincent Dunn on
its website Tuesday.
The suspension, handed
down by QMJHL director
of player safety Raymond
Bolduc, was for “inappropriate comments directed
towards his opponent.”
The team has also been
fined $500.
“The Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League created an anti-discrimination
policy in December of
2006 in order to ban all
forms of discrimination,”
league commissioner Gilles
Courteau said in a statement. “Our policy is based
on the principle of zero
tolerance and it applies to
all comments which are
deemed inappropriate. All
of our participants must be
treated with respect and
dignity.” METRO

SPORTS

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

CFL. Stamps cowboy-up
for arrival in Toronto
Calgary offensive lineman
Obby Khan has been to three
Grey Cups in the past five seasons, so he considers himself
something along the lines of
the older, wiser, elderly statesman of his unit.
That’s why, when the Stampeders landed in Toronto Tuesday evening, Khan was among
the players who elected to
dress “cowboy” instead of suit
and tie.
“Are you kidding, we’re
representing Western Canada,” said Khan, the six-footfour, 270-pounder who might
have been the biggest cowboy
on his team Tuesday night.
“You get a chance to dress
up like this once a year if you
are lucky, so why not take advantage and have some fun.
And it’s natural for me, since I
am the best-dressed, best-looking (offensive lineman) here.”
The “older and wiser” reference is Khan’s own phrasing.
At 32, the Ottawa native is the
oldest O-lineman Calgary will
suit up for the 100th Grey Cup

Calgary Tuesday, Calgary’s
biggest cheerleader — the
touchdown horse — may
not be allowed to perform
his touchdown run at Rogers Centre in Toronto during
Sunday’s game.

Stampeders lineman Obby Khan
arrives in Toronto on Tuesday.
The Canadian Press

Sunday against the Argos.
Khan fell short in the 2011
Grey Cup with Winnipeg, and
suffered a leg injury in 2007
with the Bombers that kept
him out of the game.
So when Stampeders coach
John Hufnagel gave his club
the option to dress western or
suit and tie for the trip to Toronto, Khan wasn’t about to let
the fun pass him by.
“I never cowboyed up before,” Khan said.
Torstar News Service

No horse play on Sunday?
• According to reports in

31

• The horse will be in Toronto,

though, and is set to be
paraded through the lobby
of the Royal York hotel
Thursday morning, recapturing a moment originated by
Calgarians at the Royal York
in 1948. torstar news service

In one of the most hectic 24hour periods in team history,
the Toronto Blue Jays saved
the biggest surprise for last.
Hot on the heels of having their mammoth 12-player
trade with the Miami Marlins
approved by Major League
Baseball and finalizing a
contract with controversial
free-agent outfielder Melky
Cabrera, the Blue Jays unexpectedly named John Gibbons as their new manager
Tuesday.
Gibbons returns to the Toronto dugout after managing
the Blue Jays from 2004 to
2008.
“This came as a big surprise to me,” Gibbons said at
a Rogers Centre press conference. “It’s really a thrill and
an honour to be back. I never
would have guessed that this
could happen.”
Gibbons, who had a 305305 record in his first stint
with the Blue Jays, says he has
some unfinished business to
take care of in a city starved
for a winner.
“We did a lot of good things
while I was here, but nothing
great,” he said. “I think something good is going to happen
here.”
Gibbons, 50, became manager of the Blue Jays in 2004
when then-general manager
J.P. Ricciardi fired Carlos

Newly reinstated Blue Jays manager John Gibbons speaks to members of the media in Toronto on Tuesday.
Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Tosca. He was eventually fired
in June 2008 and replaced by
Cito Gaston, who had led the
team to World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.
“It has happened fast,” Gibbons said of being hired for a
second stint. “I am thrilled to
be back. It’s always good to see
some old friendly faces.”
And with the player moves
the team made in the last
week, he’s excited to get a
second chance.
“There are too many good
baseball people who are running things and putting it
together,” Gibbons said. “It’s

Quoted

“From my standpoint, I don’t have any
stronger belief that this is the right guy to
lead this team.”
Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos, on the John Gibbons hiring

going to happen, so why not
be there when it does?”
Those people are led by
general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who stunned the baseball world last week when
word leaked that the Blue
Jays and Marlins had agreed
to a trade that saw Toronto
acquire all-star shortstop Jose
Reyes and pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle.
He followed that up by
signing Cabrera to a two-year
deal worth $16 million US.
“The front office has
put together a legitimate,
contending-type team,” said
Gibbons, who ranks third alltime in victories with Toronto. “Now it’s the manager’s
job and the coaching staff’s
job to pull it together as a
team and get the most out
of these guys. That’s our No.
1 job.”

Clubhouse controversy

John Gibbons’ best year in
Toronto came in 2006, when
the club went 87-75 to finish
second in the AL East — the
same season he had wellpublicized blowups with
players Shea Hillenbrand and
Ted Lilly.
• Gibbons said he regrets

the physical altercation
with Hillenbrand, but Anthopoulos defended him
and said if you can’t play
for Gibbons then you can’t
play for too many guys.

• “I’ve always rooted for this

organization. They gave
me my first shot to be a
big-league coach and a
big-league manager,” Gibbons said.

The Canadian Press

NHL. Players expected to table proposal on Wednesday

76ers rise above Raptors
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Jason Richardson shoots over the Toronto Raptors’
Amir Johnson on Tuesday in Philadelphia. Richardson scored six of his 21
points late in the fourth quarter and the 76ers rallied to beat the Raptors
106-98. Matt Slocum/the associated press

The ball is back in the hands
of the NHL Players’ Association.
With collective bargaining
talks set to resume at the
NHL head office on Wednesday morning, the union is
expected to table a new proposal. It comes on the heels
of a 90-minute meeting on
Monday evening, in which
the league asked NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr to
put together a comprehensive offer that includes how
to split revenue and rules governing player contracts.
“We’ve never heard a full
proposal from them,” said
deputy commissioner Bill
Daly. “We’ve heard their pro-

More games under the axe?

The meeting on Wednesday
comes at the same time the
league is expected to cancel
more games.
• According to sources, the

posal on economics; they’re
still suggesting that they’re
moving in our direction on
economics. Until we know
exactly where they stand on
economics ... we think it’s all
tied together.
“We’d like to hear it all
together.”
In addition to revenue split

NHL has decided to wipe the
first two weeks of December
off the schedule, which will
bring the total lost during
the lockout to more than
400 games.

and player contract rules, the
sides need to work out how to
pay for the damage caused by
the lockout. In the NHLPA’s
most recent offer, which
was tabled Nov. 7, the union
asked for the players’ share
of revenues to jump in fixed
increments of 1.75 per cent
each season starting from the

$1.88 billion they took in last
year.
That proposal didn’t include the mechanism that
would be used to account for
the reduced revenue generated during a shortened 201213 season.
The NHL would prefer a
proposal based on a percentage of annual revenue.
“If their proposal continues to be a guaranteed
player amount, sitting here
on Nov. 19, that’s not a proposal that would ever be acceptable to us,” said Daly. “If
that happens to be where we
are, we will be a long way
apart.”
The Canadian Press

DRIVE

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

33

Be amazed by 2013 Avalon

DRIVE
ALL PHOTOS WHEELBASE

Engine

Unchanged is the 268-horsepower 3.5-litre V6, although
Toyota has tweaked the
engine and installed an
updated six-speed transaxle
(with a quicker-shifting
sport model selector) for
improved fuel economy. Although you may have heard
about an Avalon hybrid,
that model is just destined
for the U.S. right now.

Review. Lose the Lexus
and save with the
stylish new Avalon
MALCOLM
GUNN

Wheelbase Media

As competent as the 2013 Avalon is, the car has traditionally
walked a fine line between its
spot as Toyota’s top-level sedan
and the entry-luxury Lexus ES
that is a portal to Toyota’s upmarket division.
That situation isn’t likely to
change for the 2013 model year
with the arrival of the nextgeneration Avalon. Fortunately,
however, the big sedan no longer dwells in the Camry’s shadow, where it has performed in
relative obscurity since its 1995
model-year arrival. The all-new
edition receives more defining
sheet metal courtesy of Toyota’s
Calty Design Research Division.
The Avalon’s new and radically different sheet metal
translates into a larger appearance, which is entirely illusionary, since the car is slightly thin-

ner than the 2012 version.
The new Avalon rides on
the same basic platform and
maintains the same distance
between the front and rear
wheels, yet the additional use of
high-strength steel has helped
reduce overall heft by a claimed
55 kilograms.
There shouldn’t be any criticism leveled at its redesigned
interior with its concaveshaped dashboard that exudes
luxury. Leather-covered seats
with improved side bolstering
are standard, as is a large and
legible touch-screen panel. Add
a total of 10 standard airbags to
the mix and you almost have
to wonder why anyone would
head over to the Lexus store for
their premium sedan fix.
Here in Canada, the Avalon
will be available in two trim
levels beginning with the XLE
($38,500), followed by the Limited, which costs about $40,500.
Most importantly, however,
Toyota’s flagship should appeal
to a wider audience that has likely passed on previous versions
for their general lack of personality and for those who actually
like to drive. Not anymore.

• Base price (incl. destination).
$38,500-$40,500

Design

Overall, the look is more
youthful and dramatic,
especially the dual grille
in front and the sweeping
roofline that flows into the
rear deck. More importantly, the Avalon now puts
more distance between it
and the smaller, less-luxury-oriented Camry from
which it was spawned.
This is a handsome car.

Suspension

The Avalon’s suspension has
also been beefed up with
thicker anti-sway bars and
stiffer springs for greater
ride control. The electronic
power steering system now
has had some of its previous
numbness dialed back. All
of this is good news for a
brand that has been previously criticized for its 1970sera mushy handling traits.
By comparison

1

Chrysler 300
Base price: $34,500

The Avalon’s dashboard is futuristic and luxurious.

2

Chevrolet Impala
Base price: $32,000 est.

3

Ford Taurus
Base price: $30,450

The front view shows off the new dual grille.

34

drive

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Parts Dept.
Whether it’s a Christmas gift, a novelty birthday gift or just something for yourself,
here are some ideas for unique automotive-inspired presents.
wheelbase media

Feed from the big wheel
Here’s the perfect accessory to add to your
man (or woman) cave, or Garage Mahal.
The tire bowl is an amazingly realistic
reproduction of a custom wheel and tire
combination and is ideal for serving and
preserving your favorite snack foods. The
tire’s grippy-looking rubberized tread
looks a bit over the top, while the chromelook snap-on lid resembles an aftermarket
alloy wheel. The container is 15 centimetres in diameter by 6.5-centimetres
deep and it sells for $20 US from amazon.com and perpetualkid.com.

Give a dog a bone

Step right up...

The Craftsman Dog Bone is actually
eight swivel-head wrenches in one (four
at each end) and should save you plenty
of aggravation during those times when
you’re working on your vehicle and can’t
seem to locate the right-sized socket. Sizes
include 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4,
and 13/16 of an inch (metric sizes also
available). The Dog Bone has also been
designed so as not to round off the edges
of bolts and nuts and it has a built-in
3.5-kilogram-strength magnet that can
be used to attach nuts and bolts, oil pan
drain plugs or any other metal objects.
This item is
available at
most Sears
stores, or online for $13
US. sears.
com

If you’re frequently loading your pickup
with the tailgate down, especially a
high-stepping 3/4-ton 4x4 long box, you
likely find yourself struggling just to
step into the box. If that’s the case, you
need the XD eXtreme Step Attachment.
This all-steel product attaches to your
trailer-hitch receiver and extends about
60 centimetres away from the bumper.
The step is even large enough to be used
as a seat.
The XD eXtreme Step
Attachment
can be
purchased
for $120 US
at inventivehitches.
com/store.

New Ferrari - $2,800
When it comes to pedal cars, why should
kids have all the fun? The Ferrari FXX
Exclusive pedal go-cart is advertised by the
manufacturer, Berg Toys, as being suitable for
anyone from ages 5-99. In fact, this officially
licensed Ferrari product is no toy, but is a
four-wheel cycle vehicle with seven-speed
gearing, front disc brakes, alloy wheels, an
on-board computer to record top speed,
distance travelled and lap times. So why
spend $2,800 US on fitness equipment? Go to
bergtoys.com for details.

Available in most new
Ford vehicles with 6-month
pre-paid subscription

36

drive

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Going ‘soft’ on car quality?
Autopilot
Auto
pilot

Mike Goetz
drive@metronews.ca

Vehicle quality used to be
easy to describe. A window
crank falling off in your
hand? That was bad quality.
A window crank not falling
off ? That was good quality.
Now most cars have fewer and fewer defects from
the factory. So how are we
assessing vehicle quality in
this modern era?
Well the fine people at
J.D. Power and Associates
— who have been measuring initial vehicles after 90
days of ownership, every
year for the last 26 — have
determined that we’re getting “soft” when it comes to
assessing quality.
By “soft” they mean
that we’re more concerned
about how well things
work, rather than whether
they work or not, because,
well, they almost always do
work.
Dave Sargent is the vicepresident at J.D. Power and
Associates and heads up its
Global Automotive practice. Last week, he spoke
at the AutoTalk Canada
conference in Toronto, and
expounded about this evolution of quality perception.
He started his talk by
noting that quality remains
of paramount importance
to consumers and that
nothing else drives satisfaction, loyalty and image to
the same degree.
He also noted that the
customer’s perception of
what constitutes quality
is constantly evolving and
will continue to do so. For
one thing, we get used to
great quality, and move on
to things that tick us off.
This has meant quality issues are bleeding into

areas we normally thought
of as design. Basically, poor
design is now seen as poor
quality and customers consider these design problems
as being just as severe as defects.
And the area most affected by poor design and subsequent “soft” problems is
the interface between driver and vehicle. The infotainment and inter-connected
wonderland is now the new
quality battleground.
According to Sargent, for
the first time in the 26-year
history of the study, owners
report more problems related to audio, entertainment
and navigation system than
in any other vehicle area.
Speaking
about
the
technological
wonders
coming in this area, Sargent had this to say:
“Customers are excited.
They are also confused
and fearful. They need
help.”
The nature of the
problems
here
are
what’s causing the confusion and fear. Take
voice command for
example, which has
become the mostoften-reported
problem
in the
i n -

Your dealer could fix
your window crank problem in one short visit. But
he is often powerless to
make your voice command
system work to your satisfaction. And when this
happens, it happens to
every one of the units made,
not just the ones where a
line worker forgot to tighten the window crank.
Sargent believes dealerships could better support
consumers in this
area by doing
a better
job of
ex-

plaining how these systems
work during the delivery
process. But he also noted
another problem — consumers are becoming increasingly skeptical about
the dealership’s ability to
handle today’s complex
vehicles.
Oh boy. Can’t you just
hear the automotive folks
pining for the old days,
when their major warranty
problem was just loose
nuts, and maybe a
bit of rust.

dustry.
If it
doesn’t
work as
you
had
hoped
or
expected, you
have to live with
it for the whole
time you own the
vehicle.

Look closely, the quality is in the detail. Cars from three or four decades ago have very different problems than today’s vehicles. handout

Spot the difference: A new air filter will benefit your wallet and the
performance of your car in the long-term. handout

“If you left (the filter)
for two years or more, it
can become clogged.”
Michael Minialoff of Canadian Tire
On the importance of replacing air filters.

drive@metronews.ca

Clean
air
is
always
a must,
especially
when
it
comes
to cars. Your
vehicle contains
air filters, which
should be changed
periodically to maintain your engine’s
health, as well as your own.
All engines use air filters,
which remove dirt and particles before they can enter
the combustion chamber.
Most new cars also contain
cabin filters, usually located
in the dash behind the glove
box, which clean the air in
your heating and cooling system as it circulates.
“If you’ve left (the filter)
for two years or more, it
can become clogged,” says
Michael Minialoff, manager
of automotive parts for Canadian Tire. “Not only do you
not get effective heat, but
your defroster won’t work as
well as it should, and ventilation will be compromised.”
The filter handles fresh
air that comes in through
exterior vents, as well as that

which recirculates from the
cabin through the heating
and air conditioning ducts.
“It’s kind of shocking how
much debris can end up in
there,” Minialoff says. “The
air inside your vehicle can be
up to six times dirtier than
the air outside, with road
dust, debris, pet hair, pollen, or anything that could
be floating around. These are
paper filters and they should
be changed about once a year
or every 24,000 kilometres.”
Your engine also contains
an air filter, and it’s a very
important one. Gasoline
must mix with air before it
will burn, and for every litre
of fuel, your engine will use
10,000 to 12,000 litres of air.
All of this air is filtered to
prevent dirt from entering
and possibly damaging the
engine.
Engine filters used to be
made primarily of paper
and were often checked by
holding them up to a light
— if the light didn’t shine
through, the filter was
clogged and needed replacement. Today’s filters contain
several types of materials.
“This changes the opacity,
so holding it up to a light
really doesn’t tell you anything,” Minialoff says. “It
should be changed following the recommended guidelines, either in your owner’s
manual or on the filter box.”
Air filters should be
changed more frequently if
you regularly drive on dusty
roads, in stop-and-go traffic,
travel only short distances
when your engine doesn’t
fully warm up, or if you’re
pulling a trailer or hauling
heavy loads.

CLASSIFIEDS CUSTOMER SERVICE: 1 800 527-6767 – MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8:30 AM TO 6:00 PM (ATL) Metro requests that advertisers check their advertisement upon publication and advise Metro immediately if there are any copy errors in the advertisement as published. Metro will not be responsible for
any error other than an incorrect insertion due to any act or omission of Metro. In any event Metro will only be responsible for one incorrect insertion of any particular ad regardless of the number of times such ad is run incorrectly. Metro’s liability for any such error is limited to the amount actually paid by the
Customer for a single publication of the advertisement in the space the ad is run. In no event shall Metro be liable for any non-insertion of any advertisement for any reason whatsoever. All copy is subject to the approval of the management of Metro. Metro reserves the right to classify all advertisements.

metronews.ca
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

HELP WANTED

General Help

Apartments Unfurnished

Realstar Management is currently seeking a Two-Person Assistant
Superintendent Team to live & work at one of our Halifax properties.
Responsibilities include: cleaning the common areas of the property,
preparing apartments for new
residents, minor maintenance repairs & customer service.
Salary & benefits are provided.
Please submit BOTH of your resumes and a cover letter via e-mail to:
greatcareers@realstar.ca
or by fax: 416-923-9315 ATTN: HR
Please quote “HFX” in the subject line.
MSCC ﬁrm is currently seeking an
Admin/clerical oﬃcers, customer
service reps, shoppers,store workers
general labourers and Drivers on
FT/PT. Position requires excellent,
organizational skills, hardworking,
Ability to multi-task and get it done
attitude in a very fast paced envir. It
comes with an attractive salary plus
beneﬁts. Send resume/email to :
oﬃceasstneededcal@gmail.com

gthomas@autocan.ca
Only selected applicants
will be contacted.

A large metro automotive dealership is
currently seeking a full time person to join
our team performing lot related and
security related duties during evenings.
The successful candidate will have a
minimum of three years’ experience in a
dealership setting. Duties will include,
display staging, checking in of new
vehicles, security/lot checks, snow removal
and other tasks as needed. A valid driver’s
license is required with candidate to
provide a current drivers abstract on
demand. Please forward resume and
covering letter stating salary expectations
to gthomas@autocan.ca
Only selected
applicants will be contacted.

Seeking Employment
A convenience store is hiring a Store Manager.
Full-time position with $20.19 an hour for 40
hours a week.To apply: send resumes to
seavendreamart@hotmail.com

A large metro automotive dealership is
currently looking to hire a full time person
to join our team performing cleaning
duties 6 nights a week. The successful
candidate will have a minimum of three
years’ experience in a commercial cleaning
environment and be able to perform light
duty maintenance repairs as needed. Must
have experience with mechanical ﬂoor
scrubbers and carpet machines. Please
forward resume and covering letter stating
salary expectations along with three
references to

MISCELLANEOUS
Miscellaneous
RESTITUTION OFFERED
4-6 years ago, your vehicle was slightly
damaged while parked on Robie street near
Quinpool road turnoﬀ. Unable to pay then—
love to belatedly pay for the damage now.
Email jackcornﬁeld66@hotmail.com with a
description of vehicle and damage
sustained, and I will get back to you.

March 21 - April 20
Life is good and about to get
even better. You can’t quite
believe that? Well, you will
when you begin to see that
everything is going your way at
last. Keeping a positive attitude
is easy when so many positive
things are happening.

Taurus

April 21 - May 21
The atmosphere at work may
be less than harmonious today
but don’t make a big deal of it.
Some of your colleagues are
going through difficulties at
the moment but it isn’t your
fault, so don’t take it to heart.

Gemini

May 22 - June 21
Why are you still hung up
about what a certain person
said? Why can’t you let it go?
Maybe it’s because you
recognize there was an
element of truth in it. So what?
You never claimed to be
perfect.

Cancer

June 22 - July 23
If you allow too many thoughts
to run through your head
today, you will be easily
confused. That, in turn, will
lead to mistakes. Focus on the
one thing that matters. More
than one and you may
mentally exhaust yourself.

Leo

July 24 - Aug. 23
With the Sun beginning its transit of the most dynamic area of
your chart, you honestly believe
that all things are possible —
and they are. Don’t let anyone
tell you that your dream is
unattainable. They’re wrong.

Virgo

Aug. 24 - Sept. 23
The harder you have worked in
recent weeks, the more you will
need to relax a bit now. Spend
time with your family and loved
ones and don’t think you have
to do everything yourself.
You’ve done enough.

39
By betty martin

Crossword

Libra

Sept. 24 - Oct. 23
Do what feels right to you
today and don’t worry in the
slightest if other people
disagree with you. They have
no right to dictate what you
should think, say or do — and
you have a right to be yourself.

Scorpio

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22
Make sure you keep a smile on
your face over the next 24
hours. You have important
matters to deal with and the
burden you bear is considerable, but you’ll bear it better if
you think and look happy.

Sagittarius

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21
Everyone knows what you are
capable of so you don’t have to
prove yourself in any way.
Having said that, cosmic
activity in your birth sign
means you want to put on a
show. Make it the best show.

Capricorn

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20
The Sun’s change of signs
today will encourage you to
think deeply about your life
and its meaning. Some people
may say it doesn’t have
meaning and that your
existence is hollow. But they
are wrong, and you know it.

Aquarius

Jan. 21 - Feb. 19
Try not to take anything too
seriously today. According to
the planets, you need to lighten
up a little and the best way to
do that is in the company of
some of your way out friends.
They’ll make you laugh.

How to play
Fill in the grid, so that every
row, every column and
every 3x3 box contains the
digits 1-9. There is no math
involved. You solve the
puzzle with reasoning and
logic.

Pisces

Feb. 20 - March 20
The Sun’s change of signs
today will make you even more
ambitious than usual, and
that’s good. However, your
ambitions need to be
tempered by the realization
that causes always have
consequences. Think before
you act. SALLY BROMPTON